Wood-fiber-cutting machine.



No. 788.659. PATENTED MAY z, 1905. G. E. LB CLAIR.

Woon FIBER CUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23,1904.

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G. E. LE CLAIR.

WOOD FIBER GUTTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 23,1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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.L+ 1 4MM. ATTORNEY Wl 7 NESS UNITED STATES Patented May 2, 1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE E. LE CLAIR, OF ELYRIA, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE OHIO FIBRE MACHINERY CO., OF ELYRIA, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

WOOD-FIBER-CUTTING MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 788,659, dated. May 2, 1905.

Application filed July 23,1904. Serial No. 217,873.

T0 all whom, it may concern.-

Beit known that I, GEORGE E. LE CLAIR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Elyria, in the county of Lorain and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Wood-Fiber-Cutting Machines; and I do declare that the following is a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention. which will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

`My invention' relates to improvements in wood-liber-cutting machines.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine. Fig. 2k is a side elevation thereof, and Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation substantially on line me, Fig. 2.

The machine as thus shown has a suitable main frame A, a set of rotary saws B on shaft having a pulley or band-wheel 7)', through which power is applied to said shaft and saws. A pulley b2 on shaft b inside pulley carries power to the remainder of the machine, as will be seen. A band or belt @goes from pulley 62 to a loose pulley M on counter-shaft C across the other end of the machine and which becomes a drive-shaft eventually for many parts, as will be seen.

The first material operation is the rotation of the log or block E through sprocket-chain D, running over sprocket-wheel c' on shaft C and over gear (Z on the log supporting and rotating spindle F. The opposite ends of the log is supported by a threaded pivot f, much as usual. Power for rotating the log comes wholl y through spindle F. The special means shown for carrying the log E consists of the inclined pivoted frame G, through the sides of which the supports F and f for the log are projected. Hitherto I have found difculty in obtaining a satisfactory downfeed and rotating mechanism for the log because of the excessive strain that was encountered here or there upon one or another of the operating parts, and out of this difficulty I have developed a carrying-frame pivoted at its lowest end on the shaft C in this instance and extending rearward over and above the saws, and the log-supports F and f are so placed in the sides of this frame as to bring the log to the saws from first to last on the same arc of toward the pivot end of said frame at its top as will promote the easiest movement for the carrying mechanism and consisting of a nut or block J on each side engaged on a threaded feed-screw L on the inside of standards H and having a stem 2 running in alengthwise hori- 60 zontal slot 3 in frame G and in which the said stem is slidably confined by a washer and nut 4 on the inside. Spindle 2 slides in slot 3 as the frame G is raised and lowered, and this also affords a rocking movement for nut J as it may be needed. The screws or screw-rods L are feed-screws for the log E and are designed to lower the log at such rate of speed as the gradual reduction of the log will require to give the uniform product. screws are brought into driving relation with the shaft N by certain intervening parts, comprising a counter-shaft K, carrying bevelgears fz, meshing with bevel-gears Z on the upper ends of screws L. driven from intervening shaft N by belt a, running over pulleys on said shafts K and N, respectively. Shaft N in turn is run from the saw-shaft and pulley b2 thereon by belt C,

engaged over band-wheel or pulley M, free on 80 the end of shaft C. A pinion fm, is rigid with pulley M and meshes with gear n on shaft N. Now as a means of varying the speed of shaft C, from which the log is rotated, I provide differential gears 6 and 7 and 8 and 9 on shafts 85 C and N, respectively. The gears 8 and 9 are liXed on shaft N, and gears 6 and 7 are united on the same sleeve or hub on shaft C and adapted to be thrown into mesh here or there with gear 8 or 9 by hand-controlled shaft P 90 and arm 10, according as a fast or a slow speed of shaft C is wanted. Obviously as the log becomes reduced in size the speed of rotation and feed thereof down to the saws should loe correspondingly increased, or the said gears 95 To this end the said feed- The said shaft K is other end of shaft C and with a gear 12 on the corresponding end of shaft K, a reverse or upward movement is given to the log-carrying mechanism on feed-screws L, and the said mechanism is raised to put anew log into position. Suitable clutch mechanism controls these actions, a clutch 13 at one end and clutch 14 at the other, slidable on shaft, serving such purpose. As shown, clutch 13 is in working engagement and is automatically controlled for release when the log has reached its down limit at the saws by means of a rod 16, Fig. 2, on frame Gr and engaging one arm of crankarm 17, which has its other arm in engagement with a shift-rod 18, engaged at its other end with clutch 13. Shift rod or bar 18 is supported in brackets or loops on the crossbar H', connecting standards H. The clutch 14 is preferably controlled by hand only. When the frame G has gone down to its limit, rod 16 depresses arm 17 suiiiciently to eect the release of clutch 13 and further downfeed ceases. The retracting-spring 2O would throw said clutch 13 back again into engagement when down pressure on lever 17 is relieved by the raising of rod 16, which has a nut 22 to iiX its adjustment in respect to arm 17, but a notched lever 19, pivoted to bar H', is adapted to engage and hold the clutchoperating arm 21.

What I claim is- 1. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, amain frame and a set of saws on one end thereof, a log-supporting frame pivoted at the other end of said main frame and extending over said saws at its other end, and a mechanism to lower said frame comprising a pair of feedscrews and nuts thereon having a sliding engagement in the sides of said frame, substantially as described.

2. In a wood-iiber-cutting machine, a main frame and a set of saws thereon, a log-carrying frame pivotally supported at one end on said main frame and means thereon to support and rotate the log, in combination with rotatable feed-screws in fixed relation at the sides of said log-carrying frame and nuts thereon movably engaged with said frame, and supporting the same, substantially as described.

3. In a wood-iber-cutting machine, the main frame and the log-carrying frame pivotally supported at one end on said main frame, fixed inclined standards on said main frame and feed-screws supported thereby and nuts on said screws constructed to support the said log-carrying frame and engaged in slots in said frame, and means to rotate said screws with varying speeds, substantially as described.

4. In a wood-fiber-cutting machine, amain frame, a log-carrying frame pivoted at one end thereon, feed-screws and nuts thereon having extensions slidably engaged within said log-carrying frame and constructed to support the same,mechanism to rotate said screws, a clutch to engage said rotating mechanism and means to release said clutch at a definite time comprising adetermining member on the said log-carrying frame and a lever and rod actuated thereby and engaged with said clutch, substantially as described.

5. In a wood-iiber-cutting machine, a pivoted log-carrying frame, spindles on said frame to support and rotate the log and power mechanism engaged with said spindles comprising a drive-shaft and a driven shaft and shifting differential gear between said shafts to vary the speed of rotation, in combination with speed-variable mechanism to lower said log-carrying frame comprising feed-screws and nuts thereon slidably engaged with said frame and supporting the same, substantially as described.

6. In awood-fiber-cuttingmachine,the combination of the main frame and the saws thereon, the pivoted log-carrying frame and the feed-screws and nuts slid-ably engaged with said log-carrying frame, a driven shaft geared with said screws and a driven shaft operatively connected with the log-rotating spindles, and a drive-shaft from which both of said driven shafts are actuated, one of said driven shafts having differential-gear connection with said drive-shaft, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification in the presence of two Witnesses.

GERGE E. LE CLAIR.

Witnesses:

R. B. MOSER, C. A. SELL. 

